


Taken to the Tent

by GretchenSinister



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:17:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22811479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GretchenSinister/pseuds/GretchenSinister
Summary: Original Prompt: "Jack is the son of a king and feels so suffocated and repressed in the royal life that he just cant take it anymore and runs away. He wants to see other kingdoms and lands and LIVE. And meet interesting new people. Like traveling royalty from a faraway kingdom of sands~ Exactly how long hes been on the run that would depend if they are all still guardian powered which im leaning toward but theres nothing wrong with human either! Hrm"In my head, this is sort of a low-magic fantasy AU. Also, the subject line said Jack Frost/Pitch, but the kingdom of sands? That says Sandy to me.Jack is found dehydrated in the desert by Sandy’s clan. Pitch, his husband, takes him to their tent because in his clan that’s the sort of thing a clan leader would do. However, in Sandy’s clan the leaders are expected to form large polyamorous marriages, and Pitch seems to have just claimed a total stranger for his by bringing Jack to their tent.Jack doesn’t know any of this.P.S. masterfeels I’m calling you out because I think you said you’d fill this one and you DIDN’T ahhhhhh
Relationships: Jack Frost/Pitch Black/Sanderson Mansnoozie, Pitch Black/Sanderson Mansnoozie
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14
Collections: Blacksand Short Fics, RotG Threesomes Short Fics





	Taken to the Tent

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr on 1/19/2015.

“Feel his skin, he’s freezing. He needs water, he needs shade, he needs food as soon as he can eat it! Who knows how long he’s been out here?”  
  
Jack opens his lips to tell the strangely-accented voice that his skin always feels cool to the touch, that they shouldn’t worry about that, but his tongue feels swollen and gritty. He does need water.   
  
He considers this statement further. Yes, he does need water very much. His own water skin had run dry before he had reached any oasis. The gatekeeper had said it would be easy to find but he must have gotten lost. Or maybe the gatekeeper had underestimated the sands, for the desert that bounded one side of the world was even more treacherous and magical than the sea that bounded the other, or so he had been told. The sea, the sea, with all its boundless water, was a desert, too, though. Much better were the glaciers of his birth land, the river of ice that flowed slow as history under the stone bridge that held his father’s palace…that water he could drink, that water was the water he needed, he needs water, he needs water…  
  
Jack feels himself lifted, and he’s taken somewhere slightly cooler and much dimmer. That’s much better, but shouldn’t he open his eyes now? It doesn’t seem possible. He wonders why the voice that seemed so helpful beforehand has placed him on cloth that might as well be made of nettles, so rough and stinging it feels on his skin. But maybe nettles would be good, nettles need water, and if they grow, there’s water here, and he needs water, he needs water…  
  
A flash of red as sunlight enters the dim space again, and a sloshing sound. Water? Water, water…  
  
“Half the clan says that they always knew you could be compassionate, most of the other half says that you’re trying to destabilize everything by bringing a stranger into our midst and making yourself responsible for their care.” The voice that says this is softer, and speaks with an ironic lilt.  
  
“And what about the remainder of that second half?” The first voice asks.  
  
The second voice laughs gently. “Mostly young people claiming greater healing skills than they had, who I’m sure would have been surprised to see how badly this poor traveler has been sunburned. I did get some rather fine aloe from one of them, though.”  
  
“Without promising anything in exchange?”  
  
Jack has no idea what they’re talking about, and he finds he doesn’t care a whit. Two pairs of hands lift him so that he’s propped on more rough pillows, and someone starts to drip water into the corner of Jack’s mouth. He tries to swallow and the drips stop for a moment.  
  
“He might be awake,” says the first voice. “Clean his eyes, we’ll know then.”  
  
Cool, wet cloth on one eyelid, then another. He strains to open his eyes at once, but fingers press gently on the lids. “I don’t know if you know our language, but be still, if you would. There’s still a lot of sand around your eyes. If you understand me, keep them closed while I clean them.”  
  
Sand, ah, yes, the sandstorm. It makes sense now. Jack keeps his eyes closed.  
  
“So he does understand. Good thing our conversation before stopped short,” the first voice says.  
  
“Why do you keep saying he?” the second voice asks, though the question confuses Jack. Isn’t it obvious?  
  
“I met some traders with hair and skin like that in the black sand hills,” the first voice says. “All the people with hair that short and with clothes kind of like this one’s were called he.”  
  
“Well, you’ve really done it now,” the second voice says with amusement. “A third he, and no shes? My, think of the gossip.”  
  
“That’s not why I brought him to our tent!” the first voice complains. “He’s injured, and I had the authority to make a quick decision about his care—don’t I? And I wouldn’t…you know I don’t want to…I still haven’t gotten used to the idea.”  
  
“I know, I know. That’s why I didn’t barter tentspace to the young woman who gave me the aloe. I value you more than that, even if you are a skinny bandit. But you know what people can easily say about what you did.” The owner of the second voice speaks with affection as they keep wiping at Jack’s eyes.  
  
“Should I have done something different?” The first voice asks.  
  
“Mmmm…called for everyone who also found him to make a tent of their cloaks and walking sticks? You might not know how, but everyone else would have. Sent for the first healers that could be found. That would share the responsibility. Your personal task would have been to go to the head of the caravan and tell them to stop.”  
  
The first voice grumbles something about too many people.  
  
“I think it’s safe for you to open your eyes now, traveler,” the second voice says.  
  
“And I do hope you’ll be able to clear everything up," the first voice says as Jack’s eyes adjust to the dim light inside the tent. Before him are two men, one short, plump, and golden-haired, and one tall, thin, severe, and black-haired. The first voice belongs to him as he continues, “and you’ll be able to explain just how ridiculous certain ideas about this…situation…are…”  
  
Jack stares into the startling golden eyes, and the tall man stares into his blue ones as if stunned.  
  
“Yes, very ridiculous,” says the shorter man. “Shall I leave the application of aloe to you, Koz?”  
  
Koz tears his eyes away from Jack. “But that’s not what…that’s not how…no, Mansnu. You stay here with both of us.”  
  
Mansnu smiles, and Jack sort of wishes he knew what was going on, but mostly…well, mostly he still wishes for more water.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments from Tumblr:
> 
> miss-evening reblogged this from gretchensinister and added:  
> Waaah, no don’t leave it there! I want to know what happens next! D: What happened to Jack, once he regained his health? Did he stay, or did he leave to go on his own adventure? This is indeed an interesting AU, and I liked it.
> 
> halibaal said: it doesnt ring a bell! but of course that doesnt mean anything XD I havent been able to write anything in sooo long TxT Omfg though this was beautiful! youre awesome oOo


End file.
